Love of a Shrine Knight
by Teefa and Co
Summary: AU based on Ch. 4. Meliadoul gets hurt while hunting thieves in Bervenia. When Ramza saves her life, Meliadoul must choose between her past and the new feelings in her heart. Ramza/Meliadoul. All flames will be ignored. COMPLETE
1. Thief Hunt

Thief Hunt  
  
"Meliadoul," Patsy the Ninja asked, "How much longer until we arrive at the hideout? I'm getting eager to smash those thieves' heads in."  
  
I rolled my eyes. Patsy was always eager for a good fight, one of the reasons that she became a warrior in the first place. But she was also very sensitive towards the common folk who were living in poverty due to thieves and corrupt nobles. Thus, she had decided to become a Shrine Knight. Then she had been assigned under me in my unit.  
  
Maybe I should explain who I am. My name is Meliadoul Tingel. I am a Divine Knight in the service of the Glabados Church in Ivalice. My father, Vormov Tingel, is the leader of the Shrine Knights, and my younger brother Izlude was killed in combat serving the church last year. His murderer was a well known and fairly active heretic named Ramza Beoulve. If I ever meet that man in the course of my missions. . .he'll be sorry he ever messed with me, or my family.  
  
"Oh Patsy, you really should loosen up," the Archer Cary said.  
  
Patsy quipped, "Cool your jets Cary, I just want to get to this fight so I can see the site of blood and gore on my enemies."  
  
Archer Fawn, Cary's sister, gave Patsy a glare. "I knew Ninjas liked to fight, but you take the cake Patsy. Cary's right, you should loosen up."  
  
The Summoners Dorothy and Casia were silent. I could always rely on them to keep the peace when Patsy started to argue with Cary and Fawn. It was the only thing that kept me calm while on some of our hectic missions.  
  
"Meliadoul!" exclaimed Fawn, "I've found the secret entrance!"  
  
I opened the door, and we walked in. The room was dark, and we could barely see our hands in front of our faces. Although none of us said anything, in fear of the thieves overhearing, I knew we were all thinking about how we'd find them.  
  
Suddenly, the torches flared on. I looked all around me, and saw the room was filled with thieves. Their lord was sitting on a throne, looking smug with himself.  
  
"So, Temple Warriors think that they can defeat us, the Bloodhounds. And women warriors at that. They won't last long," the leader stated.  
  
I yelled, "You shouldn't underestimate a woman. Now I'll show you what my girls and I can do. Patsy, Cary, Fawn, Dorothy, Casia. . .Charge."  
  
We all ran at our enemies. Dorothy and Casia began to summon Shiva in order to destroy a group of thieves in the lower right corner. At the same time, I could see Fawn and Cary firing upon two thieves in the upper right. Patsy threw a Zorlin Shape at one of the thieves blocking the door, and I took care of the other with my Shellbust Stab. We continued fighting, until they were all dead.  
  
Soon the only one left was the thief lord. But he was the strongest of the lot. I saw him take down both Dorothy and Casia with Earth Slash, and then get Fawn and Cary in the same way. Soon after, Patsy fell to a blow from his Koga Knife.  
  
I was the last line of defense. The thief lord and I began to cross our weapons. I began to curse the fact that my secondary spell was Black Magic. There was nothing I could do as my friends began to turn to crystals right before my eyes.  
  
Suddenly, my enemy stole my sword when I wasn't looking. When I turned around, he slashed me in the same way he killed Patsy. As I fell to the ground, and blacked out, I could hear the thief's wicked laugh. "I knew a woman would be no match for. . .hey, who are you?"  
  
* * *  
  
I woke up on a pallet in what appeared to be medical tent. My robes were torn up, and I was wearing a white nightgown with silver linings on the neckline, bottom, and ends of the sleeves. There was a male Priest and a female Summoner standing in the tent with me. The Priest had silver hair and blue eyes. His companion had long black hair and yellow catlike eyes.  
  
"Well, you're up now," she stated, "I was worried that you would sleep forever. Hey Leon, she's looking good in my clothes, eh?"  
  
"Now Sage, you really shouldn't put her through too much after she got her butt kicked by that thief. We should go and get the boss, he'll want to see her," the priest named Leon replied.  
  
Both of the magicians left the tent. I wondered what they meant by 'go and get the boss' and 'he'll want to see me'. It made me feel a bit uneasy.  
  
I thought, 'It can't be any worse than being killed by thieves in battle. I mean, he did save my life back there. That must have been why the thief lord sounded shocked before I fainted, an interloper came and attacked him before he could watch my demise.'  
  
In came Sage. "Miss, our leader wants to speak with you a little bit. He was worried when he carried you back here wounded. I always knew he was a bit of a ladies man, although he doesn't act like one. Way too honest, but it seems to attract women. The girls in our group go wild over him. I personally know two of us who may even go to war over who will win his heart. Heck, I would too, if I wasn't already engaged to my child hood friend Pete the Archer."  
  
She left the tent again. I waited several long minutes for the man to enter. In my mind, I was picturing a man in his mid twenties to early thirties, fair skinned, blond hair, and light eyes. That was my vision of a handsome man.  
  
Soon he entered the tent. The man walked over to me, and looked down on the cot where I laid on. My eyes filled with fear, as I recognized who he was.  
  
- - - -  
  
Well, here's the first chapter in this epic. You know where I got the idea from. . .? A song. I'll tell you which one later on. The whole thing about a year having gone by after Izlude's death is a glitch I encountered that made my game jump a whole year. Since it seemed to happen while I was in the middle of Chapter 3, after Orbonne, I decided to make that year happen when you were at Riovanes. Basically, Ramza spent the year honoring the dead and holding decent funerals. 


	2. The Kindly Heretic

The Kindly Heretic  
  
I looked into the deep brown eyes of the man standing over me. Those eyes were overflowing with concern for my condition. His blond hair was framed around his face, and he was wearing brown armor with silver greaves, silver gauntlets, and red breeches. I hoped that he wouldn't be able to see the fear engrained into my heart.  
  
"Don't worry," he told me, "Despite what they say, I wouldn't harm anyone for fun. I only fight if I'm attacked by monsters or humans alike."  
  
Like hell you wouldn't murder me in my sleep. You murdered my little brother for sport, and nearly killed my father as well. And how many innocent lives did you snuff out when you attacked Riovanes and Lionel Castles?  
  
It was just my luck running into the infamous heretic Ramza Beoulve. Especially when I was injured and vulnerable, and had no weapon. If he recognized me to be a Shrine Knight, I wouldn't live much longer. Hopefully, he wouldn't recognize my ruined robes as being my uniform.  
  
"Anyway, I see that you know who I am, so what's your name?" asked Ramza.  
  
I shut up, not wanting to reveal myself. Then I realized that he probably couldn't pin me on name alone. So I said, "Meliadoul. . .my name is Meliadoul Tingel."  
  
Ramza looked at me. "That's a pretty name. I hope you get better soon. Those were some pretty serious wounds. You were pretty lucky that I happened to be coming through Bervenia, and heard the sounds of battle."  
  
Ignorant ladies man indeed. He is quite cute, and charming.for an evil heretic. If I had my sword, I should kill him for what he did to Izlude and father. But, for some reason I feel like I shouldn't hurt this man. What is this spell he is weaving around me?  
  
"Meliadoul, we're not going to leave this campsite until you get better," he stated, "When that happens, you can either choose to stay with us and help me on my search for my younger sister Alma, or you can go on your own way. I really don't want to force a person to do what they don't want to. But I have to say, that thief was pretty wounded when I got there, so I can tell that you are an excellent swordswoman. Oh, and I got your Save the Queen back from him. It's with the rest of your clothing. Sage sewed the rips closed in case you want it."  
  
His sister, he's fighting for his sister. In some ways, he's just like me. Coming from a long line of warriors, he had a lot of expectations on him since he was a child. He also seems to show concern for his younger sibling. Kind of like me and Izlude, except his sister is still alive.  
  
"Thank you, for the complement, the rescue, and the clothes," I replied. What am I saying? I'm thanking my brother's killer as if he was doing it for charity work. There must be some reason he saved me. Does he want to force me to be his wife or rape me? Or maybe the rumors that Ramza Beoulve has the ability to cast a spell on a person to control their minds.  
  
Ramza smiled at me. He turned to leave the tent. But before he could reach it, the young man turned back towards me.  
  
I asked him, "Is there anything else you want to say."  
  
Ramza walked back over to me again. "I guess I was just daydreaming. I mean, my Samurai friend Margurita was telling me that you might be an enemy spy. She's always way too skeptical about things. The others always think the worst of people, but they've got to learn to trust one another a little bit more. I'm surprised that they didn't jump on each other the first time they met."  
  
By god, this man is the most naïve person I've ever met. How can this be Ramza Beoulve, the man who killed five hundred men in one day? I was expecting someone who was six feet tall, muscular, who enjoyed to torture human beings and killed someone who wouldn't immediately join up with him. But this man is so kindly and gentlemanly, hardly a heretic's demeanor. Either he's not what other people made him out to be, or he's a good actor.  
  
Ramza left the tent. I saw him conversing with a female Ninja and male Monk outside. The Ninja - - named Tess - - had green eyes and blond hair, while the Monk - - named Tyler - - had blue eyes and brown hair. Apparently, they were reporting on the situation with the monsters in the area, which were coming closer to the camp.  
  
In a little while, a Samurai with light brown hair and eyes entered the room. I guessed this was the one he called Margurita. She certainly seemed like she was skeptical of me and my intentions. I wondered why she had come.  
  
"We're going to fight in battle," she told me, "There's a gang of Chocobos that are about to attack the camp. You'll be here alone for a little while, so take the time to rest."  
  
"Margurita, we must get going," called a male's voice. In came an Archer - - the one Sage called Pete. He had red hair and brown eyes, and seemed a little edgy.  
  
Margurita followed him outside. I was relieved that they had left. Now I could get out of there without anyone trying to challenge me and kill me. I took off Sage's nightgown, and put my clothing back on. The young Summoner had done a great job, I could barely tell that it had been slashed with a knife, and ripped up in several places.  
  
As I picked up my sword, I debated attacking Ramza while he was still fighting the Chocobos. But I decided against it in the end. It was suicide to get involved, as then I'd have his allies and the monsters after me. That must be the reason, there was no way that I could actually like this monster, or want to spend some more time together.  
  
I walked out of the tent, and headed back towards Bervenia. My wounds weren't completely healed, but that didn't matter. By evening, I should be at the city, and can ride it out in the inn until I'm better. Then, I'll come back and get my revenge on this monster.  
  
- - - -  
  
Well, here's the start of Meliadoul's doubts. This will be a prime focus on the story, as her heart and mind begin to conflict with each other. It will also use my theory on how the days change when you arrive at a new area. I think that Ramza leaves an area in the afternoon, and arrives in a new place by evening. He then makes camp, and whoever attacks you attacks before you leave in the morning. For the trip from Goug to Warjiris, he left in the middle of the night, and arrived the next afternoon. The timetable wasn't changed since all he did in the trade city was talk to Delita. Those generics were actually from my first Tactics file, although Tess, Sage, and Leon were killed in the first battle. If you were wondering about the character's looks, I didn't want my generics looking just like everyone else of their class. So I gave them new looks. I should introduce them so you know who they are.  
  
Teresa Paris (Tess): a charitable, sensitive, gullible, and easily adaptable Ninja. She's 20 years old, and was born on February 23. Her sign is Pisces and her secondary is Item  
  
Tyler McCloud: a stubborn yet patient, hard working, strength seeking Monk. He's 21 years old, and was born on May 18. His sign is Taurus and his secondary is Item  
  
Allysa Anderson (Sage): a trendy, stuck up, petty, and possessive Summoner who is half of the group's clinic, along with Leon. She's 22 years old, and was born on September 8. Her sign is Virgo and her secondary is White  
  
Peter Alexander (Pete): an emotional, moody, protective and traditional Archer. He's 21 years old, and was born on July 18. His sign is Cancer and his secondary is Item  
  
Margurita Alans: a modest, shy, skeptical and logical Samurai. She's 19 years old, and was born on September 5. Her sign is Virgo and her secondary is Item  
  
Leon Armitage: a creative yet arrogant, attention loving and egotistical Priest who is half of the group's clinic, along with Sage. He's 18 years old, and was born on August 22. His sign is Leo and his secondary is Item  
  
The other ages of the cast are Ramza: 19, Meliadoul: 21, Mustadio: 20, Agrias: 23, Rafa: 16, Malak: 19, Orlandu: 59, Beowulf: 33, Ries: 26, Cloud: 21, and Alma 18. Keep in mind that these ages are what they will be after their birthdays this year, as I don't remember exactly when this part of the game takes place for me (it was sometime during the summer, that's all I remember), and Ramza's birthday is on April 19. And in case you can't tell, I like using the Item/T.Item Combo. Keeps the party healthy 


	3. Bervenia to Bed

Bervenia to Bed  
  
I trudged back to Bervenia Free City to rest my wounds. By the time I arrive, Ramza will be in Zeltennia. What is he planned to do there? Was he planning on killing our agents among the Naten? Or is his party planning on passing through in order to head onwards towards Limberry in order to steal Elmdore's Zodiac Stone?  
  
'Whatever it is, it can't be good,' I thought, 'After all, he's a heretic, why should he follow the law if he lives for breaking it. He's evil, and he wishes to cause havoc.' I didn't want to think about my father and the church being wrong, and my brother's killer being right.  
  
After arriving at the town, I got a room at the Inn. Taking into account the fact that people with White Magic healed my wounds, I'm giving myself three nights to heal. After all, I never had them set my broken arm, just lay some cheap healing on it. So I had to be a little more careful about my recovery time. When that time has ended, I will head back to Murond to give my report. I know it is a sin to lie, but how will I explain the fact that Ramza saved my life and killed the thieves for me?  
  
But I had no need to think of that now. All I need to do is rest and recover. Once I'm better, I can lay a trap for Ramza and his friends. With him out of the way, I can finally release the memory of my brother and his gruesome murder. Thank God I wasn't at Riovanes, and hadn't seen his body. Hearing my father's report was bad enough.  
  
I lay on my bed and tried to go to sleep. But it wasn't as easy as you might think. It seemed like my body just wanted to stay awake tonight, no matter how much sleep I needed to recover. As I looked at the ceiling, I saw Ramza's face staring right back at me.  
  
"Meliadoul, don't listen to what society says. Your heart will lead you to the side of right, and away from the lie you are living," he said.  
  
Lie, what lie? I am a Shrine Knight. All I do is serve the church, who are in the right in this whole war. He is the villain, the one who is in the wrong. The one who is lying about his intentions and who he really is. It wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't really care about his sister, and was lying in order to try and get me to join him.  
  
I must be strong. Letting emotions control me will lead to my death. He has no power over me, I am my own person. That fool will die when I next see him.  
  
I didn't know when I finally fell asleep. The only thing I can remember is that I had a really strange dream. I was standing with Izlude in a field of flowers. He put a flower in my hair, and smiled at me. Suddenly, a giant lion that stood tall like a man, only larger, and was wearing a toga appeared. Izlude drew his sword and attacked it, but the creature just laughed. It knocked Izlude out with one of his large fists, and then blasted him. My brother screamed in pure agony as I watched helplessly. When I pulled out my sword and tried to strike him back, the creature tried to knock me back too. Suddenly, Ramza Beoulve stepped between us, hitting it with his sword. A gaping wound opened in the creature's chest, and it was screaming.  
  
He told me, "Now you see that Lucavi is real. Your brother was murdered in Riovanes by a demon much like this. He is buried in the cemetery, along with the castle soldiers that both this demon and his companion killed. There was nothing anybody could do about it. You know I would have saved him if it were possible. You must help me fight against this evil, before more innocent people die in the horrible way that Izlude did."  
  
Then, to my amazement, I grabbed my sword and ran to his side. But instead of killing Beoulve, I attacked the lion. It convulsed, and died. Ramza held me close to his body in order to shield me from the blasts left by his death. He smiled as he looked at me.  
  
"Thank you Meliadoul. But we must continue to fight until the last of this evil is wiped out completely. Izlude's death will not have been in vain." Then, we both walked back towards his camp and his allies. I recognized his friends Tess, Tyler, Sage, Pete, Margurita, and Leon, but the others drew a blank. There was the great warrior Orlandu, and a heretic named Beowulf, and Alma Beoulve, that much was certain. But who was the man in the overalls with the ponytail? Or the blond Holy Knight? Or the two dark skinned sorcerers? Or that young woman in the dress? Or the robot? Or the spiky haired dude with the big sword?  
  
I sat down by the fire, and held out my numb hands. Ramza walked over to me, and gave me a kiss. But it didn't disgust me, in fact I was thrilled by it. The idea sent shivers down my spine, as I wondered what it meant.  
  
* * *  
  
I spent two more days and nights resting in the Inn. In that time, I practiced with my sword, hoping to get my muscles back into shape. Now, I will be ready for the fight that will take place when I meet Ramza on the battlefield.  
  
When I finished with my training each night, I went back to my room to rest. But my nights were filled with dreams of demons killing my brother and other innocents, and me fighting alongside Ramza and his friends. One time, I saw my father's face instead of the face of the lion demon. It was a sight that I would never forget.  
  
It had to be a spell to make me think that I am wrong and Ramza is right. That's the only explanation for me dreaming about fighting demons that seemed to have transformed from my father and his friends. I saw Cardinal Draclau, Wiegraff, Marquis Elmdore, and Dycedarg Beoulve, along with my father. None of these people are evil. . .well, except Dycedarg. He's the only person wicked enough to be a demon out of that group.  
  
When I woke up after the third night, I began to pack and leave. I made sure that my weapon was secured in my belt, and that my armor was fastened in all the right places. After that, I headed towards the Bed Desert, on my way to Murond.  
  
- - - -  
  
I'm trying to make Mel arrive at Bed a few hours before Ramza, in order to set the tone for the next section. Well, the dreams are part of the theme of the story, which is pretty easy to figure out. Wanna guess what it is? Or the song that it is inspired by? It'll be mentioned in a later chapter. 


	4. Poison Trap

Poison Trap  
  
I arrived at the Bed Desert just as the son was setting. When I arrived, I saw a group of Shrine Knights were there making camp. They were being led by Balk, a machinist who was discouraged by the situation in Ivalice, and hoped to make a change by allying himself with the church. He was one of my father's most trusted subordinates, only behind Rofel and Kletian.  
  
"Who goes there?" a Knight demanded, "What business do you have in the desert? The Shrine Knights have important business to accomplish."  
  
"My name is Meliadoul Tingel, daughter of Vormov Tingel. I'm a Class A Shrine Knight, attaining the rank of Divine Knight. I am on my way to the head church in Murond in order to give a report to my father and the High Priest," I told them.  
  
Balk exclaimed, "So it is you! I haven't seen you since the day your father came home and told us that your brother had been killed by Ramza Beoulve."  
  
I glared at him. "I have been out hunting the wicked heretic in order to get my revenge for the death of my brother."  
  
"You may stay with us the night," Balk said, "No sense in you making another camp for yourself. A man should take care of a woman sometimes, no matter how independent she is."  
  
I rolled my eyes. There was no way that I need a man to protect me at all. For Pete's sake, I have been fighting for years. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. But I sat down by the campfire, and began to roast some meat over the fire for dinner.  
  
"Eat as much as you want Mel. After all, you're my guest. Here, have some hot goat's milk, makes you feel really peaceful," Balk stated.  
  
I had the milk and finished my meat. But soon after, I began to feel sleepy. It is common for that to happen with warm milk, but I'd never experienced it so fast before. What in God's name did they add to it that made it so potent? Soon, I fell asleep.  
  
* * *  
  
I woke up shortly after dawn, and wondered what was going on. All of the Shrine Knights were laying mushrooms around, all while holding their noses. There must have been something pretty important happening around there, but I didn't know what it was.  
  
Balk yelled at them, "You better hurry and spread the poison around. I don't want Meliadoul waking up and finding out about it. She's a good warrior, but a little too wrapped up in battling honorably sword to sword. There's no way she'd ever go for something like this."  
  
An Archer stopped right near where I lay. "Is that why you drugged her last night? So she'd sleep later than she usually does?"  
  
"Exactly," Balk replied, "If Meliadoul sleeps through our work, she'll never know we're going to use Mosfungus Poison as a distraction to cover the elimination of Larg and Goltana."  
  
So that's why I felt like there was something else in my milk. But they should have taken into account the time they'd give me the drugs. After all, it wasn't powerful enough to knock me out for eighteen hours. I'd estimate my sleeping time was about half a day.  
  
Suddenly, the Archer dropped a mushroom right in front of me. It exploded, and I inhaled its spores. I began to feel dizzy, like I had a cold. I'd heard of the effects of Mosfungus from my father, he'd told me that it gave you the same feeling that a cold would.  
  
As I began to feel sick, I heard the sound of approaching warriors. A fight began between Balk and the interlopers. One by one the Shrine Knights fell, until even Balk was dead. I would have liked to walk over and see who they were, but I felt too sick.  
  
"He's inhaled too much of it, we'd better get him back to the sick tent. There's no way we can lose him now," a young man said.  
  
A woman answered, "I found a girl laying here, she must have inhaled it too. Help me carry her to the tent as well."  
  
I heard another woman hmph at her comment. "How can we trust her? I mean, we don't know where she comes from. Besides, she's pretty bad off, we can't save her."  
  
"Don't tell me what Allysa and I can and can't do," a man demanded, "You know I'm a miracle worker in the field of medicine."  
  
"I agree, you know it's important for us to help other people," another man stated.  
  
A female voice yelled, "Where is my Ruby Staff? You know I can't heal properly without it. It cost five thousand Gil to get it hand made at the store in Gariland."  
  
I don't really remember who answered that woman. After she yelled at her friends, I was knocked out like a light. As I slept, I dreamt of fighting with Ramza against the demons again.  
  
* * *  
  
I woke in a familiar tent on a familiar bed. Sage and Leon were lounging around the room. Leon was reading a book, as Sage sat down and looked at some jewelry. I noticed she was wearing a glamorous dress. On the second bed, Ramza lay, breathing heavily.  
  
Sage took notice of my wakening. "So, you're finally up Mel. Look at me, now I'm repeating myself. How do you like my new dress, got it in Zeltennia."  
  
"Nice," I whispered, "Am I going to live?"  
  
"You will. Sage and I have the best healing clinic around. There's no one who can top us in the whole country. Besides, Mosfungus is easily treatable if you just know how. But since it is often mistaken for a cold, people don't think to follow the process right," Leon said.  
  
I asked, "How come I heard the name Allysa before I passed out?"  
  
"My real name," Sage admitted, "It's actually Allysa Anderson. Tess's real name is Teresa, and Pete's real name is Peter. We're the only ones with nicknames in the camp."  
  
I decided not to bother them anymore. My head still felt a little funny after the poisoning. So I decided that I would just go back to sleep, and heal a little bit more.  
  
- - - -  
  
Well, a little twist on the battle. I wanted to explain a little bit about how I think that you weren't hurt badly when poisoned, while Balbanes died from the same type. Everyone thought he had a cold, so they tried to treat a cold. It also fits with why Zalbag called for a Chemist to treat Larg, he knew Mosfungus could be treated if you could just diagnose it. 


	5. To Kill, or Not to Kill

To Kill, or Not to Kill  
  
I woke up again the next morning. Sage and Leon weren't up yet, or at least they weren't in the clinic. Ramza was still sleeping on his pallet, in much worse condition than even I had been. I chalked it up to having a better immune system.  
  
This was a perfect opportunity for me. He's vulnerable, he won't even know if I stab him with my blade. So what if it seems dirty, he was a whole lot dirtier when it came to my little brother. The heretic deserves everything I give him. Even if his allies find out and take me down, I don't care. As long as Izlude is avenged, I will gladly die.  
  
So I walked over to my equipment, and picked up Save the Queen from the pile. Wielding it in both hands, I held it over Ramza's body. I lifted the blade high over my head, and proceeded to bring it down onto his neck.  
  
Just then, something stopped me. It wasn't Sage or Leon coming into the clinic and seeing me, it was something I couldn't define. For some reason my arms were unable to deliver the fatal blow to my enemy. This has never happened before in my life.  
  
Thinking I would need some fresh air to clear my mind, I stepped outside for a minute. I didn't get far before I saw Tess. From what I've heard from Sage, she's really gullible and naïve. Perfect, I won't have to worry about her figuring anything out from what I say to her. Whatever suspicions she gets will be easily thrown out with a convincing lie.  
  
"Good, you're feeling better," she said, "I hate seeing people sick. Ramza is really starting to worry us all. He's never been this bad before. And I remember the time he got the flu and we had to spend a whole week at the inn in Gariland."  
  
"I just have a good immune system, that's all. Hey, Tess. . .can I ask you a question. It's really important," I told her.  
  
Tess replied, "Shoot. I'm all ears."  
  
I looked her square in the eye. "Well, I have this friend, it's not me. And her brother was murdered by this guy, it's not Ramza. She found her way into this guy's company, and luckily escaped. Later on, she found him again in a moment of weakness, but for some reason, she isn't able to give him the death he deserves for what her did. Do you know what is wrong with me. . .I mean, my friend?"  
  
"Well, I'm no expert in these matters," Tess admitted, "But it sounds like your friend has a really bad problem on her hand."  
  
"What should she do? She wants to avenge her brother, but there's something inside of her that tells her not too. She's been having strange dreams too," I continued.  
  
Tess then stated, "It sounds like her heart and mind are at war with each other. Now I may be a romantic at heart, so this advice might be a little skewed. If I were that girl, I would follow what my heart says. After all, your mind can easily be fooled by what people or society tells you, but your heart always knows the right way to go."  
  
I smiled. "Thank you Tess. You seem to know a lot about the heart."  
  
"I'm extremely gullible," she told me, "At least, that's what the others say to me. So I know my mind can be fooled much easier than most. Thus my heart has become my greatest weapon to keep me on track. Ramza thinks in much the same way. He knows you will never do him any real harm, that you might be a Shrine Knight, but you're not with the demons."  
  
"How do you know I'm a Shrine Knight?" I inquired.  
  
Tess said, "My heart told me that you were a confused soul, looking to discover what is right. Society says one thing, but your heart knows the true answers Meliadoul. Ramza didn't kill your brother - - whoever he is - - unless he was a demon. And if he was a demon, then he was no longer himself, and was saved from slavery through his death."  
  
I looked shocked. "Izlude was no demon! He was an innocent boy who was cruelly murdered at Riovanes Castle when he went there on a mission."  
  
"Izlude eh?" asked Tess, "I remember him. Poor kid was tricked and fooled into doing the demon's dirty work while being uninformed of their true plans. Then he was murdered by his own superiors, all because he saw what they really were and decided to stop them from killing innocents. If he hadn't fought, many more may have died at Riovanes. Your brother brought time for many people to escape Lucavi's wrath. We buried him in the cemetery behind the castle and honored his valiant sacrifice. None of us will ever forget him."  
  
"I still can't believe all of this. I need time to think," I whispered.  
  
Tess replied, "Take all the time in the world to sort out what you want to believe. We don't force people to come with us. But if you want to avenge Izlude's death, and kill his real murderer, come with us and we'll hunt for those demon spawn together."  
  
I told her I'd think about it. She was silent, but I knew that she would wait for me to sort things out. Truth is, I was starting to really think she and Ramza were in the right. But how could a dangerous heretic be the good guy, and the church be the bad guy?  
  
So I left and headed back to Bervenia. Tess told me that Ramza and his comrades were bound for Bethla Garrison to talk to Orlandu. Then they would come back the way they came and try to see if Alma was taken to Limberry Castle by Marquis Elmdore. If I wanted, I could meet up with them in Bervenia when they arrived. That would give me plenty of time to consider what Tess had told me about following my heart, and sort out my beliefs. Hopefully, it would be enough.  
  
- - - -  
  
I know the "I have this friend" gag is overplayed, but I was going for testing the extent of Tess's naivete. The part about Ramza getting ill in Gariland happened sometime in the year between chapters 1 & 2, when he was with Gafgarion, in case you're curious. 


	6. Lessons From a Song

Lessons From a Song  
  
I arrived in Bervenia by nightfall. Like before, I rented a room at the Inn and went to sleep. This time though, I didn't have any nightmares. Maybe it was because I was starting to believe in Ramza a little bit more, although I didn't think so at the time.  
  
The second night there was uneventful as well. I just sat around the common room, listening to the gossip. Apparently, Naten assassins took out Larg, and Orlandu betrayed Gotana, and was promptly executed for it. Must be a plan the High Priest devised, but it didn't seem to be working. The armies still wanted to battle each other, even without their leaders.  
  
People can be so foolish sometimes. Look how much was lost in the war in only a little over a year. Imagine if this fighting goes on for several more years. All of Ivalice will be devastated, and all the people will either die in battle or starve. Can't they see all the damage they're causing?  
  
But it does no good to curse out the dead who wanted this or the living that continue to fight despite what has happened. Our only hope is to rally together in order to make Ivalice the great land she once was. Sadly, I don't think we as a people are capable of doing it.  
  
The third night was when everything changed. I knew Ramza would be in town tonight, so I tried to stick to the back of the Inn's common room. Granted, he wouldn't show himself so openly if he could help it, but I guess I was just delaying the inevitable.  
  
It was on this night that a great announcement came from Goug Machine City. Apparently, they had dug up a sound device that dated back to before St. Ajora was born. Most people know that the society back then was highly advanced, and the only clues we have are found by Mechanics. Tonight, they were going to show the common people what they had discovered, and play some of the music they had found buried along with the system.  
  
"All right," the man who'd brought the system in said, "I hope you all have a great time here. Our first song is going to be from a young woman who lived several thousand years ago. It's a song about how you should always listen to your heart, or you might live to regret it some day. So without further delay, here's Aviral Lavigne's Sk8er Boi."  
  
As I listened to the lyrics of the song, I gasped. The girl in the song might very well have been me. Granted, she doesn't have half the problems I do, but she seems to be what I might have been in another time and place.  
  
For those of you who've never heard the song, I will give you the short and sweet version of the story. There was this guy who was something called a punk - - no doubt an ancient term for bard - - and a girl who did something called ballet - - what I gather, she's a type of dancer. Both of them liked each other, but the girl wouldn't admit it because she wanted to be like her friends, who all shunned him. Some time later, he became a successful rock and roll bard, and had found someone who loved him for who he was inside. The other girl was left all alone, holding the bag and regretting her past decision.  
  
I thought I'd never end up like that girl. I'm not in love with Ramza, just confused at whom to believe in any more. There's no point in taking these things to heart. I mean, it's only a song that someone wrote a long time ago for the purpose of what the ancients called entertainment. Those things haven't been around since the days of female bards and male dancers.  
  
I listened to a few more songs, and then decided to go back upstairs and get some sleep. It's just been a late night, that's why I'm feeling so funny. This whole 'I'm going to end up like the girl in the song' thing will go away come morning, mark my words.  
  
Wouldn't you know it, I couldn't have been more wrong. The next day, I sat in the common room sipping some tea when a mercenary ran into the Inn. He began yelling something about seeing Ramza Beoulve leaving town and heading down the road to Zeltennia. Then he began to ask for volunteers to go with him to catch the heretic.  
  
Almost the whole room agreed. The ones who didn't must have either been afraid, or had never held a sword in their lives. I felt sorry for the kid who had tried to rally the men, he now had to choose from a whole group of bloodthirsty warriors.  
  
But that gave me time to go on ahead. I must warn Ramza that his life is in danger. I don't know what had come over me. Chalk it up to that song I heard last night.  
  
In late evening, I arrived at Finnath River. Although I wanted to find Ramza first, it was getting to dark to do much of anything. So I made my camp, and went to sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
I awoke to the sounds of battle. Wondering what was going on, I began to follow it, until I arrived at a clearing. There, I found Ramza locked in battle with the mercenaries that had been gathering in Bervenia's Inn. He stood no chance at this rate, I had to help.  
  
I pulled Save the Queen out of her sheath, and charged the nearest enemy. He was taken by surprise, and fell easily. But I couldn't rest after that, Ramza was still in danger. So I continued killing all of the mercenaries in my path, until the last one had fallen.  
  
"Ramza, are you hurt?" I asked.  
  
Ramza replied, "Not at all. I hope you haven't gotten yourself in too deep now. You know if this gets found out, you'll be branded a heretic too."  
  
I gave him a smile. "I really could care less what they say about me. The only thing that can satisfy me is to know that my brother Izlude is avenged, and you're the one who knows how I can do it. What do you say, partners?"  
  
"Partners," he replied, "Don't worry Mel, we'll avenge Izlude and save Alma, together."  
  
"My life and my sword are in your hand," I stated.  
  
- - - -  
  
Well, that's how I believe a person from Ivalice would define a song from our time. I took the line about how there were airships and other signs of high technology back in Ajora's time, and decided to make that time period being our future. This is the first real sign of Meliadoul falling in love with Ramza mentioned, more will come. 


	7. Gemini Demon

Gemini Demon  
  
Some time later, we arrived at Limberry Castle. Along the way, we'd brought flowers in the slums of a trade city, killed thieves who tried to mess with us, and dealt with ghosts that were trying to steal the Zodiac Stones. Ramza and I had saved each other from countless brushes with death throughout the journey, and we'd forged a mutual respect for one another. It was the type of respect that I'd never had for anyone else ever, or that anyone had ever had to me.  
  
Our arrival was met with a group of Apandas and a duo of Assassins. I'd heard that Elmdore kept beautiful girls in his castles that were trained as professional killers. If half of the rumors I'd heard were true, we were in deep trouble indeed.  
  
I went in close to the one called Celia and used my Shellbust Stab on her. Badly wounded, the two women escaped. But their laugh stayed behind.  
  
"If you want to find your sister," one of them taunted, "Come inside the castle."  
  
Ramza ran inside. I followed him inside, worried that it was a trap. In one of the chambers of the castle, we ran into Elmdore and the two girls.  
  
"Payback for all the disgrace at Riovanes," yelled Elmdore.  
  
I gave Celia another Shellbust Stab. This time, the attack not only wounded her, but killed her as well. Suddenly, she teleported out, and reappeared as an Ultima Demon.  
  
Ramza exclaimed, "So you've been calling on demons to do your dirty work for you, as well as giving your soul to Lucavi."  
  
Elmdore laughed. "So what if I do? Ultima Demons are the most powerful type there is. Just look at their power." With that, he hit Lede, and she also became an Ultima Demon. Both demons gave us an evil glare in their unearthly eyes.  
  
Celia began to charge up a spell. It hit Ramza, knocking him for a loop. But when he recovered, he beamed with pride. I wondered what was making him so happy.  
  
"That was a foolish thing to do," he told Elmdore, "You must not know the many things that a Mega Squire has the ability to do. We have skills that no normal Squire could ever hope to learn. I now know the spell that was cast on me. Here it is, right back at you. ULTIMA!!!!!!!!!"  
  
The spell knocked Elmdore backwards, and killed both demons. Elmdore now sported a wound on his lip, and blood ran down his face. He teleported away.  
  
"Come down to the basement. Your sister is there," he told Ramza.  
  
We ran down to the basement. There, we found Elmdore sitting among a group of coffins, near the back wall. But Miss Alma was not there. Just as I predicted, it had been a trap. In an instant, he pulled out the Gemini Stone, and transformed into the Lucavi Zalera.  
  
I yelled, "You monster! So you're one of the demons from Riovanes Castle. Now you will pay for all the death you caused there."  
  
He looked at me. "I never killed anybody there. It was purely Vormov and Wiegraff's doing. I wish I had helped, it looked like fun. Heck, Vormov even got rid of that worthless son of his. Stupid kid, he couldn't see that the plan we have is divine, and fought against his father."  
  
That flared the anger in my heart. No one insulted Izlude in front of me, and got away with it. This demon would not live to see another sunset.  
  
"Izlude was no fool!" I exclaimed, "Vormov is the fool. He's no longer my father, he's just a demon, like you."  
  
"If you can not see the divinity in our plans, you will die, just like Izlude," Zalera cackled. We began to fight with Zalera. I ran at him and slashed him with my sword. He would die for all of the innocents who had died by his hands.  
  
* * *  
  
The battle took only a short time longer. My anger over his insult on Izlude had strengthened the resolve to fight in my heart. Soon, the enemy had been destroyed. But we were out of leads on where to go next. We had no idea where Alma might have been taken, or what my father was up too now. Thus, we needed to have a strategy meeting.  
  
Mustadio suggested, "We should go and talk to my father. Goug has so many Temple Knights looking around there for new recruits and special machinery that could help them. Maybe my father has heard something that could be of help.  
  
We decided to try his idea. So we packed up, and began to head towards Goug. That night, we stopped to make camp on the edge of the swamp.  
  
I was sitting near the fire, and thinking about all that had gone on when I heard someone coming up behind me. "You sure are carrying a lot of weight on your soul. I mean, your father is a demon, and he murdered your brother in cold blood. Even my family isn't that dysfunctional. If there's anything I can do for you, just ask."  
  
I turned around and saw Ramza standing there. He sat down right besides me, and began to warm himself by the fire. There was a softness in his eyes, and he truly seemed to mean what he had said to me.  
  
"Thank you," I whispered, "I could really use someone to speak to. My whole life, I've always carried only my own life. Now, I can give myself to other people freely."  
  
"Don't mention it. I'll always be there when you need me. What are friends for? You'll never have to go through it alone," Ramza replied.  
  
I gave him a gentle smile. In the past, I never dealt with anyone helping me for anything. Now, I realized that I need someone who'll help me through the tough times, and laugh with me in the good times. Not because I'm a woman, but because I am a human being.  
  
- - - -  
  
Yes, I am going to tell the rest of the story, but only the important parts. I'm going to go through the whole Cloud sub-quest now, and finishing it after I deal with Adramelk. 


	8. Steel Ball Mystery

Steel Ball Mystery  
  
When we arrived in Goug, we went strait to Mustadio's place. Both Ramza and Mustadio went inside, and began discussing something. The rest of us were free to do whatever we wanted until they were done. I went around town with Agrias, hoping to hear some gossip about the Shrine Knight's activities that could help us find where to go.  
  
Of course, no one was talking. Probably afraid of becoming heretics for saying the wrong thing. It wouldn't surprise me, especially if they heard about the demons that had been appearing. My father wouldn't want the world to know, it would interfere with his plan.  
  
The only thing of interest I'd heard was about some new machinery found by Bersrodio-Mustadio's father. Well, Ramza and Mustadio will get the low down on that piece of information right from the source. I should just keep searching for information in the town.  
  
When we reunited, we found out that we all had the same results. Nothing new had been heard about where to go. The only update was that Mustadio's dad had found a Steel Ball with the Aquarius sign on it. Rumors had been heard about monsters in the Golland Colliery. We then decided to head for Lesalia to look for helpful information we might need in hunting the monster. After all, we couldn't have it attacking innocent people. Who knows, maybe we'll find the missing stone on this endeavor. If my memory serves me correctly, my dad hadn't yet found Aquarius.  
  
* * *  
  
In Lesalia, Ramza and I headed for the bar. I ordered myself a small glass of wine, and he had a cup of milk. While there, we listened to the gossip about the beast. From what we heard, it was a dragon, but not one of the regular ones. It was a Holy Dragon, which was rumored to be able to use the breaths of all three types. We decided to go to Golland instantly.  
  
"Excuse me," a man said, "I would like to know if you might hire me. My name is Beowulf, and I would like to hunt for the Holy Dragon. But I don't think I stand a chance on my own. Would you consider taking me with you."  
  
I turned and looked at him. It definitely was Heretic Beowulf, former leader of Lionel's Knights. No one knew what he had done, but there were rumors that his crime was falling in love and proposing to a girl that a corrupt priest named Buramonda wanted. Certainly there were no rumors about him murdering hundreds, or stealing treasure from the church. Not anything that would lead to him killing the whole group, at least.  
  
"Sure, come with us," Ramza replied. I don't think he even knew whom he was talking to. But he also has a profound knowledge of following his heart. If Ramza's heart says that Beowulf isn't going to hurt us, I will trust him too.  
  
* * *  
  
We arrived at Golland, and got a room at the Inn. I went downstairs to think, and ran into Beowulf, who was sitting at a secluded table. He motioned for me to join him. Deciding to figure out exactly what was going on, I went over to him and sat down.  
  
I asked him, "Are you really just a simple hunter? You fit the description of a known heretic named Beowulf, who used to lead Lionel's Knights."  
  
He took a drink from his glass. "I am that man. After I left Lionel, I became a simple hunter in order to find the Holy Dragon. It's really important that I find her, before something happens. The dragon's name is Reis, if you're wondering. What, are you planning to turn me in?"  
  
He must really have cared about that dragon to search for all this time. I noticed he referred to it as a her, and even gave "her" a name. What secret does this dragon hold?  
  
"No," I replied, "I have no quarrel with you. I just want to be sure that I won't be murdered in my sleep by anyone."  
  
"A reasonable worry. I noticed that your companion is Ramza Beoulve. You don't seem to have any reason to be afraid of him," Beowulf commented.  
  
I stated, "Ramza and his men saved my life on two occasions. They knew what I was, and they were still willing to help me. He has earned my trust for those kind acts."  
  
Beowulf looked at the ceiling. "It is hard to trust people nowadays. I mean, there's all this betrayal, murder, and thievery going on during the war. The people think they can take advantage of the armies being all tied up, and do whatever they want. Anyway, what is your relationship with Ramza anyway? You two seem to be pretty close to one another. I noticed that you were near each other the whole way down here."  
  
"We're just friends," I stated, "He and I can relate to one another. My brother was murdered by the same group that kidnapped his sister. He wishes he could have saved my brother, and I don't desire for his sister to share that fate. Comrades, that's all."  
  
"That's not what it looked like. You should examine how you feel for him right now. Otherwise, the chance might just slip right through your grasp. Take it from an expert here. Well, I'm going to bed. Goodnight Meliadoul, and think about what I just said," Beowulf told me. Then he went upstairs, and returned to his room for the night.  
  
I sat there thinking for a little bit. Do I feel something more for Ramza, and I just don't want to admit it? Could my pride be in the way, or is it my fear of being hurt again?  
  
I decided not to tackle this tonight. After all, we didn't know where to go. It's not like we'll find Alma and kill off the demons in a day or so. I've got plenty of time to decide where my heart stands on this issue. As long as I stick with Ramza, I will eventually have my answer.  
  
- - - -  
  
First part of the subquest section. We'll go into the Colliery next chapter. 


	9. Truth of the Holy Dragon

Truth of the Holy Dragon  
  
The next day, we went to the underground Colliery in search of the Holy Dragon. I didn't quite know what we were going to find, but I followed close behind Ramza. Before leaving, I made sure I had Black Magic as a secondary, in case we ran into monsters.  
  
Our first opponents were a group of mercenaries. I laughed at them, all five were Chemists. They probably weren't expecting a Divine Knight, but they should have least prepared for all different kinds of enemies they might encounter. Item is good as a secondary, and Chemist might be good for one who wants to use a gun, but you need a variety of skills to win a battle.  
  
We dispatched of them easily. Our next enemies were a pair of Male Thieves, a Male Chemists, a Behemoth, and a King Behemoth. The monsters looked intimidating, but were no more than just nuisances. I took care of the first Thief, while Tyler used his Wave Fist on the second one. Beowulf blinded the Chemist, leaving him open to the Rune Blade thrown by Tess. Ramza got the Behemoth with his sword, and Orlandu finished off the King Behemoth with Holy Explosion.  
  
On the third level, we ran into a pair of Male Chemists, a pair of Blue Dragons, and an Uribo. I swear, the whole Chemist thing was getting old. But I just used Fire 4 on the Blue Dragons, hoping to exploit their weakness. Ramza got behind a Chemist, and struck it with his sword. The second Chemist died when Beowulf blinded him, and he walked right into the range of Margurita's Chirijiden. Leon healed a wound on Orlandu's shoulder, and then the old general dispatched of the Uribo.  
  
Finally, we were at the bottom level. There, we saw a purple and green dragon being backed into a corner by an Archaic Demon. It seemed as if the beast was after a Holy Stone, and the Dragon had found it somehow.  
  
"Reis," screamed Beowulf, "I looked all over for you! Hold on, I'll save you!"  
  
The dragon let out a happy call towards her master. She then proceeded to kill an Ochu with her Ice Bracelet. But the Archaic Demon was closing in on her. And a group of Plagues were blocking our pathway foreword.  
  
Luckily, Ramza had decided to bring Pete and Sage with us on this endeavor. The young Summoner called forth the magic of Shiva, as her beloved fired arrows at the enemy. Using Ice 4, I joined the duo in distracting the monsters. That gave Beowulf and Ramza time to get through. I watched as the mysterious heretic ran at the enemy, and dispatched the demon attacking Reis. Ramza finished off the final Ochu, as I helped Sage and Pete kill the Plagues.  
  
* * *  
  
Beowulf thanked us for helping us find Reis. He then picked up the Aquarius Stone that Reis had been guarding. The man put it in Ramza's hand, and told him that he owed "them" one too. I bet it was the church that had betrayed him.  
  
Anyhow, we headed back to Goug. Ramza and Mustadio went to give the stone to his father. When they came out, they had a Steel Giant named Worker 8 with them, as well as mission to find the Cancer Stone for another item Bersrodio had constructed. That was another one my father didn't have. When someone noticed our new companion, we were told about a second one that lived on the Cursed Island Nelveska, which lay north of Zeltennia. Although we didn't know what stone might control it, we figured it was worth a try to go there. After all, it might just be the right one.  
  
So we headed towards the temple on Nelveska Island. There, we found a trio of Cocatoris, and a pair of Hyudra. They were lead by another Steal Giant, named Worker 7 NEW. Noticing the intruders, the robot began to attack.  
  
I remember having to climb on top of Worker 8 to search the pillars that the Hyudra's were standing on. To our great joy, we uncovered the Golden Escutcheon and the Ultimate Javelin, both legendary weapons that had been lost long ago.  
  
Soon, the monsters were defeated, and the robot knocked out. But he connected to his reserve circuit, and continued the attack. Luckily, he didn't have much left in him. It wasn't long before he began the self- destruction countdown. I saw Ramza trying to shield me from it, in case there was danger. Luckily, it didn't come to that, and he wasn't hurt.  
  
* * *  
  
When it was over, Reis began to whimper about something. She looked towards the temple, and let out a dragonic howl. Beowulf picked up the Cancer Stone we had found in the robot, and gave it to her. She took it in her mouth, and went inside the temple.  
  
"Now, you're all in for a surprise," Beowulf told us.  
  
And boy were we. Eerie lights began shining throughout the temple. A dragonic shriek cut through the air. Soon after, it was replaced by a more human one. I know I wasn't alone in wondering what in the world was going on there.  
  
Reis soon exited the temple. But she looked much different. For one thing, she was no longer a Holy Dragon. She was now a young woman with long blond hair.  
  
Beowulf exclaimed, "Reis. . .is that you?" But he already knew the answer. The two ran into each other's arms, and embraced.  
  
Tears ran down Reis's face. "Beowulf, I missed you."  
  
"Reis. . .my love," Beowulf replied, "I missed you too."  
  
I guess I kind of felt jealous for Reis at that moment. She had a man who loved her enough to chase her to the Four Corners of the World. I had begun to wish for such a romance, and such a man to spend my whole life with. It could be anybody in this whole world, maybe even Ramza himself. Maybe Beowulf had been right, I am in love with Ramza. But how can I tell him that? Oh well, I have time to think about that, just as I had time to sort out my own heart.  
  
- - - -  
  
Don't yell at me if Mel doesn't have the jump ability to use the cheat to get the treasures on the pillars. I don't know exactly who does, so I just had to guess. In case you can't tell, I'm alternating all of my characters. Mel will always be in battle, while Rafa and Malak never will. Reis, Beowulf, Worker 8, Cloud, Mustadio, and Agrias might be in several, Orlandu will be in most. My generics will be there a lot, because I like the classes. If I don't mention who exactly is in the battle, just imagine whomever you want. Sometimes, I don't feel like concentrating on anyone besides Ramza and Meliaduol. 


	10. Brotherly Love

Brotherly Love  
  
We returned to Goug with the stone. As usual, Ramza and Mustadio went inside to talk to Bersrodio. I decided to wait for them outside the house.  
  
Before they could come out, a spiky haired man exited the room. He had blue eyes that shone with a strange energy, and clothes that I'd never seen before. I wondered where he had come from. Maybe Bersrodio took on an apprentice.  
  
Ramza and Mustadio exited the room. Both seemed perplexed, probably as a result of whatever experiment was conducted. Then, Ramza noticed me waiting there.  
  
"Have you seen Cloud?" he asked me, "Spiky blond hair, ethereal blue eyes, and strange clothes that are not of this world? Turns out that Bersrodio's new contraption was a forwarding device. We've got to find him before he wreaks havoc in Ivalice, as he doesn't know the laws or the situation here. He also said something about being a soldier of a sort, and you know how some soldiers get over the prospect of battle." He was no doubt thinking about his younger self, from the days of the Death Corps. He'd told me about how he had hunted them, and how it lead to Delita turning into what he is today.  
  
"He just left," I told them. We then began to head to the meeting place. Hopefully, the others will already be there, and we can get going.  
  
Suddenly, Rafa came running towards us. I could see the urgency in her eyes, as she struggled to catch her breath. Most likely, she'd run clear across town. She stated, "Ramza, I've got important news. I was in the bar with Malak, and overheard about Shrine Knights visiting Igros a lot lately. Maybe one of your brothers has contracted a Lucavi."  
  
Ramza nodded. "Then we head to Igros right away. I don't know which brother it might be, but I'd hate to see innocents die by the hands of my own flesh. We might even find clues as to where Alma is while we're there." * * *  
  
When we arrived, we found Zalbag fighting against Dycedarg. I only heard snippets of the conversation, but it seemed that Dycedarg had murdered Larg, and now Zalbag had heard some things that proved his older brother had murdered their father as well. Looks like we've just found out which brother was given the Zodiac Stone. Not to mention that he was one of the faces I found on the demons in my dreams.  
  
And we were correct. The second Dycedarg fell, the Capricorn Stone began to glow. Suddenly, a bright light surrounded him, and he transformed into a goat monster named Adramelk.  
  
"Heh, heh. . .so that's it. . .now I know," he cackled, turning to Zalbag, "Young fool. Here's a souvenir for you on your way to Hell. I killed Balbanes. . .yes I did it. The Beoulve's finally had their chance to rule. . .but he blew it! That idiot! So I killed him. . .even a sword master can't fight poison." Then, he murdered Zalbag with his magic, and turned on us.  
  
I saw the rage in Ramza's eyes. This demon had killed his father, who loved him dearly, and now his older brother, who he greatly respected. The young man charged Adramelk, but was thrown back. "Fool, do you truly believe you can kill me?" asked Adramelk.  
  
Suddenly, he felt a spear in his side. I had equipped the Ultimate Javelin before the fight, and now used it to strike him down. Then, I began to charge up a Flare spell. All the while, I held the weapon tightly, paralyzing Adramelk.  
  
Adramelk screamed, "You fool! If you're too close to me, when you cast the spell, you might get caught up in the attack, and die yourself."  
  
I laughed at this. "I'll send you to Hell first. My brother was murdered by your kind, I will never let you get away with doing the same to Ramza."  
  
"Meliadoul!" exclaimed Ramza, "Don't do this! I don't want to win at the expense of your life. There must be another way."  
  
"Don't worry about me. You need to save Alma, so you need to live. I have nothing much more in this life, the least I could do is protect you," I told him.  
  
Suddenly, I felt a protective Aura around me. It was Leon casting Shell 2. Margurita soon followed up with a Masamune - - Regen and Reraise. I should have known that my friends would be there for me, no matter what I did.  
  
Adramelk laughed, "It will all be in vain. I will survive this feeble attack, while she will be knocked backwards. Then I can continue killing you all!"  
  
His laughs were cut short when Agrias used Stasis Sword, and Ramza struck him with his sword. He was weakening fast, and he knew it. With everyone working together, he might not survive the spell, as he originally thought he would.  
  
I soon finished charging up. "Here's what you deserve for all of your evil deeds! FLARE!" The flames spread all over Adramelk, killing him instantly. I took some of the backlash, and was knocked backwards. After that, I fell into an unconscious state.  
  
* * *  
  
I woke in the tent a little while later. Sage and Leon weren't there though. The only person in the tent with me, was Ramza.  
  
"I wanted to see if you were ok," he said, "You frightened me. I thought you were a goner back there. I mean, I know how powerful your magic is."  
  
"Thank you, it means a lot to me, hearing that from you," I replied.  
  
Ramza told me, "We're going to head to Zarghidas Trade City. I have a hunch that we'll find Cloud if we go there. There's no telling what trouble he's gotten into."  
  
I looked at him. "Whatever you want to do, you have my full support in any endeavor."  
  
"We'll leave in the morning," Ramza said, "After we're sure your burns have healed completely. I don't want you hurt any worse on this journey. I'll see you in the morning, goodnight Meliadoul." He gave me one last concerned look, and left the tent.  
  
"Goodnight, Ramza," I whispered.  
  
- - - -  
  
Ok, I really like Meliadoul with Black Magic. Well, I like her with Throw more, but we already have Tess for that. Besides, it just set up for this nice little scene between the two of them. 


	11. Stranger in a Strange Land

Stranger in a Strange Land  
  
The next day, I was feeling much better. Leon and Sage really did know what they were doing. As I walked outside, I ran into Margurita, who was hanging around.  
  
"Thank you for yesterday," I told her, "You, Leon, and Sage saved my life."  
  
"Don't mention it. Listen, I'd like to apologize to you. When you first came to us injured, after the thieves incident, I was kind of short with you. I also didn't trust you too much, even after you joined up with us for good. It was yesterday that I finally decided to trust you," she admitted.  
  
I replied, "It's ok, I understand. I was told that you're a little bit skeptical, and a good deal logical. I really came off as suspicious, especially after running away from you all on two occasions."  
  
She looked at me. "You really understand me? I guess I shouldn't have been afraid of talking to you. Truth is, I'm kind of shy in situations like this. They say if you put Sage and me together, you get the epitome of a person born under Virgo."  
  
I laughed a little with her. Just then, Ramza came up to us. He was happy to see me up and around. Then we all began to pack in order to begin our journey to go and find Cloud.  
  
* * *  
  
After passing Dorter along the way to Zarghidas, we began to hear wacky rumors. It seemed that a stranger came to various cities, and began getting into all kinds of fights. He started a brawl in a bar in Golland, and took on a whole mercenary team in Lesalia. And as we followed the stories, we were lead to - - you guessed it - - Zarghidas Trade City.  
  
There, we saw a group of thieves surrounding Cloud. Turned out, he'd taken them all on while they were bullying the flower girl Ramza had purchased a flower from on our last trip here. Then he'd gotten a headache, and was now in a bad position.  
  
"Cloud!" yelled Ramza, "Are you ok?"  
  
"Does it look like I'm ok?!" he screamed back.  
  
Although I didn't like that tone of his voice, I still knew we had to save him. I'd guessed that Cloud was used to taking care of himself, and anyone doing it for him was too embarrassing.  
  
I used Shellbust Stab on a Monk, who was the apparent leader. Ramza and Orlandu took out the two Squires, while Tess and Tyler each attacked a thief. Soon, there was only one of the knaves left alive, another thief.  
  
He whined, "Please, spare me. I'm only a lackey. I'll never do anything bad again."  
  
I scoffed. "You can't fool me. Every one screams that before they're killed. Then they turn on the person who was kind enough to spare them. I'll give you no quarter. . .HELCRY PUNCH!"  
  
Instantly, the last thief was down. I saw Cloud standing up, trying to get the ache out of his wounded leg. I motioned for Tess to go and get Sage or Leon.  
  
"I lost. . .," Cloud began, "A very important thing."  
  
"Cloud. . .?" inquired Ramza.  
  
He continued, "Ever since, I've been lost. Who am I? What should I do? What about this pain." He turned to leave us all behind.  
  
Ramza stopped him, "Cloud. . .there's someone in your world waiting for you. We might be able to send you back where you came from by using the stone's power."  
  
"Let's go, Ramza," Cloud said, "I can't be here. Must go. . . to the Promised Land." "What is that? We've never heard of it," I admitted.  
  
But Cloud never replied. Instead, he just walked back to the Inn with us. Waiting there were Sage and Leon. Tess's warning had given them time to get the clinic set up for when Cloud arrived. Sage said, "Here, we'll take care of that nasty wound for you. It must sting pretty badly. Don't worry, Leon and I are the best healers in the whole world. Oh dang, now I'm beginning to sound like that little egotistical punk."  
  
Cloud walked right past her. "I don't need your healing. I can take care of my own wounds." He lifted his hands, as if he were going to cast a spell, but nothing happened.  
  
"Drat," he groaned, "I forgot that my Cure spells were all imbedded into my Materia Blade. I must go to the volcano to retrieve it."  
  
That's how we ended up climbing the only volcano in all of Ivalice to look for his missing sword. Sage and Leon saw a lot of work when we were through. Not only did we all get some nasty burns from the lava, but a gang of monsters saw our antics as a great reason to go and attack all of us on the spot. Ramza was turned to stone, my arm was bitten, and Beowulf hit his head. Ries charged the monster that had done that piece of damage. Don't even get me started on all of the wounds Cloud received from this little jaunt, he deserved each one. After all, it was his fault that we were all there.  
  
To be fair, Cloud did do his share of the work after grabbing his sword and equipping it. I'd never seen fancy fighting like that. He called it a Limit Break, but to me it was just a fancy term for magic. But we never found the little marbles that fit into the hilt of his sword. Cloud claims they're Materia, a crystallized part of the Lifestream, but I didn't quite understand what he meant by that.  
  
We now were out of little quests to go on. With no new leads on the activities of the Shrine Knights, we decided to head towards the Murond Temple. Most likely, Vormov was there, planning his next move. At the least, we'd find a clue or two towards his whereabouts.  
  
That night, I looked out the front of my tent at the stars shining in the sky. I remembered all of the times that I looked up at them with Izlude as a child. That brought me back to how he had died, and my heart was filled with anger.  
  
'Vormov will pay for what he's done to Izlude. Don't worry little brother, I'll make sure to stop him so he can never hurt another being ever again,' I thought.  
  
- - - -  
  
The battle in Murond next time. Well, I was guessing a bit at what someone like Meliadoul would say about Cloud's tales of his own world. I don't think any of the characters would be able to figure it out. 


	12. Selfless Love

Selfless Love  
  
We arrived at Murond in a few days. The Priest who was standing on the top noticed who we were, and ordered his men to attack. The whole lot of them were Male, and had some type of magical ability. There was a Priest, a Summoner, two Geomancers, and a pair of Mediators - - the least magical of the group, but still relied more on magic than physical attack.  
  
It was quite a strategic battle. Ramza, Orlandu and I came around the front, while Agrias and Mustadio snuck around to open up a second attack front. We climbed to the top of the roof, chasing them. Soon, they were all dead.  
  
"I would like to go in alone," admitted Ramza, "To make them let down their guard. Meliadoul, Orlandu, Pete, and Sage will wait behind the door for my signal. If I get in trouble, I'll call three times like a frantic Chocobo. Then, you can come and surprise the enemy. If the way is clear, I'll give you five long Chocobo calls. Then, you can signal to the others in the back that it's safe to move forward."  
  
We agreed to his plan. Ramza entered the church, and checked around the first hall. Soon, we heard the five long calls that signaled an all clear. Everyone went inside with him. This continued for several more rooms. Finally, we came to the last room on the end of the hall. Ramza went inside, and we listened for his call. But none came.  
  
I put my ear to the door, and listened. Then, I heard my father's voice, making demands of Ramza. He would return Alma to him, but only in return for the ten Zodiac Stones in his possession, as well as the Germonik Scriptures.  
  
Ramza saw through the ruse. He offered to give him the Scriptures to assure Alma's safety, but Vormov would not get the stones unless he produced Alma. I could hear him agree to Ramza's terms, and send Rofol to pick up the book left on the floor. But shortly after, I heard the sound of a sword being drawn, and Ramza called three times like a frantic Chocobo.  
  
I opened the door. Rofol had apparently read what he wanted, and then attacked Ramza while his guard was still down. My beloved was standing in front of him, sword knocked out of his hand, and with a bloody gash right down his chest.  
  
"Now you will die Beoulve. Then I can just take the stones from you. No need to return Alma to get them back, and the only hindrance to my plans will be dead," Vormov stated.  
  
Ramza asked him, "Why do you keep Alma alive? You even killed your own son. So why do you continue to let Alma live?" He clutched his wounded chest, as if it could heal him.  
  
Vormov laughed at his question. "You don't need to know that boy. You're going to die right here and now. This is goodbye Beoulve. Goodbye, and good riddens." He charged Ramza, preparing to slice the sword right through the young man's body.  
  
My eyes went wide. He hadn't been playing fair, you're supposed to announce a combat, not just attack someone out of the blue. It went against all of the rules of battle that Shrine Knights are taught in basic training. Instantly, I knew what I must do.  
  
I ran forward, towards Ramza. Then, I knocked him out of the way of the attack. But Vormov's sword went through my back. I fell to the ground with a mortal wound.  
  
"What in the world?!" exclaimed Vormov, "Meliadoul! What in the name of God are you doing? I'm the good guy, he's the monster who murdered your brother."  
  
"You're the monster. You sold your soul to Lucavi, and killed Izlude at Riovanes. Ramza is a kind soul who you've framed in order to get away with your horrible acts," I managed to get out.  
  
Ramza said, "Meliadoul, why'd you do that? You're dying now. All because you got in the way of the attack that was meant for me. Just like at Igros, you don't seem to care whether you live or die. Please, I didn't want to see anyone of my friends die because of me."  
  
I coughed up some of my own blood. "Ramza, I told you before. You need to rescue Alma. My brother is dead and my father is no longer human. There's nothing left for me in this world. If I can help you or Alma not to go through all of that, to not have to be left all alone, I will gladly give my life."  
  
"Still," Ramza continued, "I can't stand to see you in such pain. Is there anything I can do to help you get better? Want an X-Potion, or an Elixir?"  
  
"No, I'm dying and I'll accept it. But Ramza, there's something I must tell you before I die. I love you. I always have and I always will. Goodbye, my love," I whispered.  
  
I began to slip into unconsciousness. As I began to fall, I heard Ramza yelling for Sage, who was right behind me in line. There was an urgent sound in his voice, I'd never heard before.  
  
* * *  
  
When I awoke, I thought I was in Heaven. But that all ended when I saw Leon and Sage standing over me. They had been casting Cure 4 and Raise 2 on me, hoping to save my life.  
  
As I looked around, I saw everyone else was in the room. All that is, except Ramza, Margurita, Pete, Tess, and Tyler. Where were they?  
  
Sage told me, "They're all trailing Vormov. He ran away when Ramza slashed him. I've never seen him that angry since he realized that Vormov had taken Alma away at Riovanes." I looked at her. "Am I going to live?"  
  
"Of course you will," Leon replied, "Would I, the greatest healer in all the world ever let one of my patients die on me? No, not a chance."  
  
Just then, Ramza came up the stairs. He looked a little sad, and I wondered what had happened. But the second he saw me alive, his face brightened.  
  
I tried to run to him. But the wound in my back still ached terribly. I grabbed onto the area with my hand, in obvious pain. He noticed this, and came to me instead. To my surprise, Ramza took me in his arms, and gave me a kiss. I didn't know that he returned my emotions.  
  
"I love you too, Meliadoul," he whispered in my ear.  
  
- - - -  
  
A little fluff, finally. Well, I just love the person who is willing to sacrifice themselves for their beloved storyline. I love it even more when the person manages to survive. Only a few games killed a character off in this manner, and I found them to be the most moving deaths. One of the reasons I really liked Final Fantasy 5 (besides the fact that three of your characters at the end were female, I just love parties with mostly girls who can kick butt). 


	13. Waiting For Your Return

Waiting For Your Return  
  
Ramza filled us all in on what had happened while I was unconscious. He'd chased Vormov to the chapel, where the monster summoned a group of demons. Vormov had also called back Zalbag's zombie, and controlled him to attack Ramza. That forced Ramza to fight against and kill his other brother. It also gave him some time to escape to Orbone, where he had some urgent business.  
  
"I'm going to follow him," Ramza said, "With me will go Tess, Tyler, Margurita, and Pete. Everyone else will go with me as far as Dorter, and wait there for our return. I don't want to risk the lives of anyone who is not going to participate in the coming battles."  
  
That caused quite a few groans from the rest of the group. They all wanted to know why Ramza was leaving them behind. Some people - - Malak, who wouldn't have fought anyway - - were complaining about the whole situation, and why no one wanted him to fight.  
  
"That's enough! Meliadoul is hurt, so I can't risk her getting killed in the battle. I also need Sage and Leon to stay behind and make sure her wounds heal completely. There are also some people who might attack them, so I need the others to protect the three of them. That's why I only want four people coming with me. All of them have the Item command, so we won't be short on healers. And these are some really good warriors," Ramza told us.  
  
Agrias asked, "Why aren't you taking Orlandu? He's one of the strongest warriors in our group. You must make sure to come back safely. For Meliadoul's sake."  
  
Once, Sage had told me that two girls were willing to go to war over Ramza's heart. I later learned that those two girls had been Agrias and Rafa. I knew how hard it had been for her to say, "for Meliadoul's sake," and not, "for my sake".  
  
Ramza shook his head. "I just have a bad feeling about taking Orlandu. I'll admit he's a good warrior, an his Excalibur helps him attain the speed of a man in his prime. The same goes for the rest of you. I think that we're safest with this group. That's what I feel in my gut."  
  
I still worried, it wasn't safe. But I had learned to trust Ramza's feelings, and knew he would return to me. Knowing this, I gave him my ring for safekeeping, and he gave me his bandanna.  
  
So we all continued onwards to Dorter Trade City. There, our group divided in two as planned. I watched as Ramza and his group headed towards Orbonne. The rest of us headed for the Inn, to wait on their safe return.  
  
* * *  
  
A week passed since they went to the monastery, and there was no word. I was beginning to worry about them, that Ramza's feeling had been wrong. Some days, I went with Agrias to the road Ramza had taken, hoping to see him returning.  
  
Soon, we heard the bad news. There had been an explosion of some sort in the monastery basement. Ramza, his allies, Alma, and all of the Shrine Knights had been killed. A funeral was going to be held for Alma, whose body was found by some priests who were checking it out.  
  
Orlandu decided it was too dangerous to remain here. So we all packed up and began to head towards Bervennia Free City. We figured a free town would be the safest place for us to hide out until I recovered completely. Then, we would continue to travel around, until we were able to find a place where no one would be able to hurt us for following Ramza.  
  
As we began to leave Dorter, I took one look back. A tear fell down my face, as I though of Ramza's death. How had it happened? Did my father cause the explosions, willing to die if he could take Ramza with him? Or had one of them accidentally set some powder on fire, after deciding to have a secondary in magic rather than Item?  
  
But whatever happened down there, it didn't matter. Whoever caused the explosions was not important to me. Ramza was dead, the only man I'd ever loved in my life.  
  
* * *  
  
A year passed since the final battle. The Lion War had ended, and King Delita was ruling over the people with a fair hand. He was also rumored to be planning an intense investigation into the mysterious explosions at Orbonne, not for Ramza's sake, but to save face with the people.  
  
His Queen, Ovelia, had died on her last birthday. She had been praying in the church, when an assassin had come and stabbed her with a knife. He then tried to knife the king, but Delita had managed to turn the dagger back the way it came and avenge his wife. Agrias, at least, didn't believe a word of his story, and I'm sure Margurita wouldn't have believed it either.  
  
Margurita. . .she died so young. And Tess, Tyler, and Pete as well. I often saw how sad that Sage and Leon would get when they talked about their dead lovers. Although they would show a brave face in front of the rest of us, I could see how they really felt.  
  
Oh, Reis is pregnant. She conceived near the beginning of June. I can't wait to see what the child looks like. She and Beowulf look so happy.  
  
I had grown healthy and strong in this time. The only sign of my near fatal wound was a large scar on my back. It was a constant reminder to the loneliness in my heart.  
  
I didn't care much about anything anymore. Often, you could find me in a bar, drinking a small glass of wine. No, I never got drunk in the bar, I wasn't that stupid. I just had a little in order to forget myself for a little while.  
  
One day, I came in the bar, and sat down. The girl next to me was talking cheerfully to the bartender about a new rumor. She had long blond hair tied in a ponytail, and brown eyes. She seemed to be a type of cleric. I'd never seen anyone that happy in my life. To tell you the truth, I was jealous. How could she be happy, when I was so sad.  
  
"Well thank you mister," she finished, "My brother will appreciate the information. We need a new job, or we might go broke."  
  
"You're traveling with your brother?" I asked.  
  
The girl replied, "Yup, and his friends. Hey, why don't you join up with us? We always could use a new helping hand around the camp."  
  
Before I could answer, the girl grabbed me by the arm and began pulling me along. I decided that I liked my arm just where it was, and followed. We left town, and headed to where the group had pitched their tents.  
  
There, I saw a blond Female Ninja, a brunet Male Monk, a red headed Male Archer, and a Female Samurai with light brown hair. They all seemed so familiar to me, as if I had seen people like them in another lifetime. It brought a twang of sorrow to my heart.  
  
The girl ran to a tent and called inside. "Brother, I brought back a guest. Come on in and meet her. She's really nice."  
  
Out from the tent came a man with short blond hair and brown eyes. He was in the armor of an Mega Squire. But I then saw him wearing my ring on a chain around his neck.  
  
"Ramza!" I exclaimed, "Is it really you?"  
  
"Yes Meliadoul, I'm alive. And I've finally come home to you," he replied.  
  
I ran to him, right into his outstretched arms. We embraced for the first time in a year. Then, he kissed me. We stayed like that for a long time, with the cheers of the others in my ears.  
  
When we finished, I began to lead them all back to the Inn. I watched in tears as Pete and Margurita were finally reunited with Sage and Leon. Then, Ramza introduced his sister to the rest of the group. We spent the night in that Inn, and in the morning we continued our journey. One day, we'll find the place where we'll be free, but until then, at least we have each other.  
  
- - - -  
  
A sweet ending. I know Ramza doesn't wear a bandana, but he doesn't have to wear one to own one. I just didn't know what he should trade with Meliadoul for her ring. Now I'd like to thank the following people for making this possible. First, to Square for making the game. Next, to Aviral Levigne, as her song Sk8er Boi inspired the theme. Then, to Namco, as Ramza and Meliadoul remind me of their characters Stahn and Rutee, who also fall in love (which is why I'm into Ramza/Meliadoul in the first place). Finally, to my best friend Dan, who recommended the game in the first place. 


End file.
